


Toss and turn

by apathyinreverie



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Caring Jaskier | Dandelion, Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Oblivious Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Pre-Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Pre-Slash, Protective Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Soft Jaskier | Dandelion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23181841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apathyinreverie/pseuds/apathyinreverie
Summary: If there is one thing Geralt has learned in his long life, it is the fact that people, humans in particular, are ignorant. Although, at least that same ignorance also keeps anyone from realizing where his real soft spots are. Gods forbid, the bard himself ever figures it out.-Jaskier thinks it’s kind of adorable how Geralt apparently still hasn’t realized that the White Wolf's protectiveness of him is a secret to literally no one.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 50
Kudos: 1120
Collections: Witcher





	Toss and turn

If there is one thing Geralt has learned in his long life, it is the fact that people, humans in particular, are _ignorant_. Always, _always_ ignorant.

And that - more often than not – their ignorance is also very much by choice rather than due to honest stupidity.

Humans have an almost impressive capacity for simply ignoring facts that do not fit into their self-made view of the world, tend to even get offended if presented with anything that might undermine their personal opinions, seem to forever prefer maintaining their own willful ignorance above learning anything new, all the while convincing themselves and each other of their own superior intellect and knowledge of the world.

Case in point, his current contract having sent him out after a supposed cockatrice - which according to the villagers had taken up residence in a nearby cave and has been stealing livestock and even carried off a couple of people - but when he got there, ended with Geralt finding himself faced with an entire nest of erynias instead.

Which is not only a rather significant difference numbers-wise but also, _how do you even manage to confuse the two?_ One looks like a monstrous, mutated chicken, the other more-or-less like a human with wings. It's really not that subtle a difference to pick up on…

Well, Geralt has also long since given up assuming people will ever even _try_ to learn the difference between the various sorts of creatures that crawl the continent. Humans generally can’t even tell apart those monsters out to kill them and those that wouldn’t do them any harm if just left alone.

Not that the humans would care anyway. If it’s different from them they simply want it dead.

He huffs a breath at that thought, even as he easily jumps across a rather deep crevice cutting through the mountain, the stone slick beneath his feet from the rain that has been coming down ever since this morning. The rather torrential rain coming down isn't bothering him in the least, his clothes soaked through at this point but at least also washing off some of the blood and guts he is currently covered in.

He ignores the way the tied-together erynia heads he is carrying in one hand are still dripping blood, making a nice little trail all the way back to where he slew the entire nest a little while ago. It's his proof of a fulfilled contract, just to make sure no one tries to cheat him out of his coin. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

People come asking for his help, only ever seeming to remember that witchers were specifically created for the sole purpose of fighting off those monsters humans stand no chance against, whenever they need his services. And once that is done, they promptly forget again, once more full of scorn and fear and revulsion in his presence.

Geralt long since gave up hoping for anything different.

He sighs slightly to himself as he finally crosses from rocky, untamed terrain onto the actual path leading back towards the village where he left Roach and Jaskier behind earlier. At least this village is large enough to have an actual inn and a tavern, meaning once he gets back there will be food and ale, an actual bed, and even a hot bath.

He had left Roach and Jaskier behind for this particular hunt, not only because the path up to the supposed cockatrice lair was the freehand-climb-and-jump sort, but also because some of the things the villagers told him about the carried-off livestock and disappeared people had made him doubt the supposed nature of the monster right from the start.

And if he can at all help it, he doesn’t like taking Roach or Jaskier with him whenever he isn’t entirely sure what sort of monster he will actually be facing.

Which had turned out to be a good thing. Because fighting his way through a swarm of erynias all the while having to also make sure none of the monsters decided either Roach and Jaskier would make a nice little snack for them to carry off to who-knows-fucking-where, forcing Geralt to chase after them…

Yes, leaving his two travel companions at the village had definitely been a good decision, as much as Geralt generally prefers to keep them a little closer. If only to better watch over them, to make sure none of the village folk might be getting any ideas in his absence.

Alas, this is the one instance where human ignorance actually seems to have been working in Geralt’s favor so far.

People fear Geralt, are terrified of him and his kind, even after centuries still somehow unconvinced that witchers do not kill humans unless truly not given another choice. But at least their fear of him also sees to it that even the dimmest amongst them never seem to quite dare laying a hand on Geralt’s things. His horse, his weapons, his general belongings, and - more recently - his own story-telling bard very much included.

Not only that, but no one seems to ever consider the reverse either. Seeing as everyone ‘knows’ that witchers do not have emotions, no one ever seems to figure out that the absolute easiest way to make Geralt do anyone’s bidding would be to go after Roach or after the overly chatty bard following him around. Or maybe they do, but also realize that Geralt would cheerfully chop apart anyone who might try anything of the sort.

Either way, whether it's their fear born from ignorance or their blindness born from the terror they feel at the mere sight of him, in this one instance, human obliviousness is actually something to be grateful for.

Thing is, he can’t actually remember when exactly things changed, at what point Jaskier became an actual part of his travel party in Geralt’s own mind. These days, he has gotten so used to having the bard around that Jaskier’s presence tends to give Geralt more of a sense of normalcy than whenever the bard _isn’t_ around.

He knows it had been different at the beginning when the bard started following him around, Geralt honestly wouldn’t have cared much about any threat levied against the bard back then. Not really. Back before Geralt unexpectedly found himself _caring_.

He picks up his pace just slightly, senses forever alert of his surroundings, making sure there isn’t anything lurking in the shadows waiting to attack, but wanting to get back to the village.

Sure, even back then he’d have protected Jaskier from harm, but back then that protection would have been much more about Geralt’s general stance on protecting those who cannot fight for themselves than it would have been about an actual need to specifically keep the bard safe.

It simply hadn’t been _personal_ yet.

But that had changed quickly. And Geralt still isn’t entirely certain _how_ or even _why_.

Whether it was Jaskier simply choosing to follow him around at all, undeterred by everyone else’s fear of Geralt’s kind, just cheerfully nattering into his ear, forever humming some tune or other, Geralt’s glares only ever barely deterring him from chattering on for a couple of minutes at a time before he’d be right back at it, telling stories and asking endless questions, an almost child-like delight about him that had been rather fascinating to Geralt right from the very start.

Or maybe it was more due to the fact that the bard chose to stick around for years afterwards, even after seeing what Geralt’s life is like, after seeing what life _with_ Geralt is like, apparently unbothered by the endless hunts for monsters, the never-ending scorn from any people they come.

The bard who gets invited to sing at royal courts, so clearly used to the finer things in life, but cheerfully tagging along as Geralt travels from town to town, visits even the smallest settlements the continent has to offer, small villages and countless people with even smaller minds. Jaskier who seems to find Geralt's surly temper amusing and takes his stoic reticence as an invitation to only ever talk _more_ , forever cheerful, talking and singing and filling the silence between them entirely on his own.

Jaskier who acts as though, in traveling with Geralt, he had found exactly what he had been looking for. As little sense as that thought makes even to Geralt himself.

And likely the reason for his willingness to suffer the bard’s endless chatter these days also has something to do with Jaskier’s utter lack of fear whenever he is around Geralt.

People are _always_ afraid of him, forever aware that his kind was created for their ability to kill _anything_ they choose to. Geralt can _smell_ their fear on them. Creatures, half-breeds, magic-users, humans. It doesn’t matter. They all smell of fear once they realize what he is.

Except for Jaskier, who never seems to fear anything at all in his presence, not really.

It’s not even just a lack of fear of Geralt himself but also a blithe sort of disregard of any _other_ threats they come across, forever trusting in Geralt’s ability to protect them both from anything that might cross their path, at most giving a panicked screech if faced with any even vaguely scary creature and then promptly scurries to hide from it behind Geralt, hiding from one monster behind another.

Maybe that’s the reason. The simple trust Jaskier has in him, not just trust to keep them both safe but actual trust _in_ Geralt.

He realized as much only a couple of months back, when they had found themselves in a rather sticky situation in some backwater village, where it turned out that the ‘good guys’ weren’t nearly as good as one might hope, one of those situations where it hadn’t been clear who the real monster was, man or creature.

And right in the middle of that mess - when it had become apparent that the humans they were working for might be far more monstrous than the creatures Geralt had been hired to kill - Jaskier had just turned towards him, looked at him expectantly, watching him, clearly waiting for _Geralt_ to make up his mind, to tell him which side they should be on.

Because apparently Jaskier trusts Geralt’s view on right or wrong more than he does his own.

Which is just…

Even now, the mere concept seems rather baffling to Geralt.

He grew up on suspicion from humans, quickly learned that he would always exist as a necessary evil in this world, knows to never expect kindness from people. Life has taught him never to trust people, that humans always have an agenda and to _not ever_ trust anyone who would claim to want him around, never to let himself be taken in by a simple smile or a friendly word.

He had learned that lesson in particular quickly and lastingly. Brutally.

And it taught him to wrap himself in cautionary abrasiveness and unapproachable disinterest, if only to better deter those who might try to lure him in with false smiles and faux-friendly words.

Friendship with anyone has never even been on the table for him.

His life consists of ‘mutually beneficial’ deals and relationships, coin exchanged for services in either direction, and no one pretending to be particularly interested in anything more. He much prefers solitude over false friendliness anyway.

And then Jaskier came along, the overly chatty bard who just decided to tag along on Geralt’s travels, undeterred by his reticent nature, trusting and cheerful and honestly wanting to be around Geralt, trusting him to kill what needs to be killed and tending to get somewhat fussy every time Geralt manages to get hurt.

The bard who so very easily turned all those hard-learned lessons from Geralt’s youth on their head.

And somehow Geralt just missed the point in time, where ‘getting back to camp’ had turned into ‘getting back to camp _where Jaskier is waiting’_. He still isn’t really sure what to do with that particular development.

It’s something he has never had before, someone waiting for him to get back, either back at his camp for the night or at the local tavern or even at the very mouth of the cave Geralt just crawled into to kill some creature or other.

He doesn’t even know whether he particularly _likes_ it, doesn't really know what to do with it or even what it _means_.

Which, however, also changes nothing. It’s still _his_.

As much as the bard annoys him, as much as Geralt is sometimes honestly tempted to just gag Jaskier after a long day of travel and the bard simply _not ever shutting up_ , or maybe put a damn muzzle on him just in order to get himself a little bit of silence, he has gotten used to company. Or rather, he has gotten used to _Jaskier’s_ company in particular. So much so that the idea of not having the bard around anymore honestly… unsettles him.

And, well, witchers tend to be rather possessive of the few things they lay claim to in life. Just ask Roach. Geralt won’t even let anyone else touch her. Admittedly, once more with the notable exception of a certain bard.

And Geralt can deal with Jaskier spreading his affections around, can deal with the bard’s various flirtations and illicit affairs. Just as long as - at the end of the day - Jaskier once more leaves with him, as they continue their travels, on to the next village, the next contract, another monster to kill.

Geralt almost subconsciously hurries his steps a little more when some of the village buildings comes into sight up ahead.

Because with the realization that he does in fact care, promptly came the thought that someone might at some point actually try to use Jaskier against him.

It’s an uncomfortable thought. Truly uncomfortable.

It’s just, whenever he leaves Jaskier and Roach behind at one of the less than friendly villages they stop at, he can’t help but worry. Worry that he’ll get back from his hunt only to find himself faced with Jaskier in danger, dead, or under threat of injury, if only due to his clear association with Geralt.

More than once has he found himself imprudently rushing in killing the monster of the day, sometimes getting himself far more injured than he would have if he hadn’t felt like he had to rush to get back.

And every time he returns from his hunt, he is glad to find that people’s ignorance still holds true as ever.

Yes, he’d much prefer it if everyone remained simply none the wiser regarding Geralt’s recently developed and so very exploitable soft spots.

And gods forbid, a certain bard himself ever figures it out.

+++

Jaskier glances up from where he had been entertaining the crowd when the door to the tavern slams open.

He has developed a bit of a sixth sense for whenever Geralt is about to return from his various monster-killing endeavors, if only because that jittery feeling in his bones simply vanishes the moment Geralt reappears in his general vicinity.

It’s not eventhat he worries about Geralt getting himself killed or even gravely injured while hunting a simple monster… Well, at least not as such. It’s more of a general worry that something might happen, that something unexpected might cross the witcher’s path during a mission, that Geralt might let himself get dragged off on another quest while already in the middle of one.

It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. There are some surefire ways to get Geralt to help, like the mere mention of children for example reliably rendering the witcher incapable of sending whoever is asking for aid away.

Really, if people ever realize just how much of a bleeding heart Geralt is, Jaskier's witcher will be in real trouble.

Well, then again, that’s what Jaskier is for, making sure his witcher is at the very least always well-paid for his services, that people hold up their ends of any bargains struck. If only because no village wants some bard running around the continent telling everyone of ‘that one place up in the mountains’ that should really be avoided because the people there will swindle you out of any deal you might make with them.

It’s bad publicity and _no one_ wants that. Not even an out-of-the-way place such as this.

A glance over to the door immediately reveals the expected sight of the witcher’s rather recognizable hair across the heads of the crowd filling the tavern, having a spread over Jaskier's face even as everyone around him quiets rather abruptly, a path quickly clearing between Geralt and the bar where Jaskier is currently standing.

People clearing out of the way of Geralt's piercing stare, like some sort of physical force. It's nothing new.

He feels his mouth quirk up slightly as he watches Geralt glare the entire tavern into submission with a single slow, sweeping glance across the crowd. Well, the witcher isn’t actually glaring as such, is currently even wearing one of his more neutral expressions. But Jaskier also can’t blame the people of this town for not realizing as much.

Geralt’s ‘neutral’ is very much other people’s death glare.

As always, the witcher’s eyes quickly cut straight across the crowd, finding Jaskier by the bar where he is standing right beside the village leader who'd been pestering him about Geralt's time of return. And it’s barely a second but Jaskier still sees the way Geralts eyes flicker down, across him, head to toe and back, a quick perusal to make sure that Jaskier is unharmed.

Jaskier has to fight not to let his grin widen further.

This sort of thing has become the norm these days, but seeing Geralt's worry for him still makes Jaskier feel all warm and fuzzy inside every single time, so endeared whenever the witcher clearly can’t quite help himself but check up on him, never quite trusting Jaskier’s safety whenever he himself isn’t around to ensure it.

Never mind that Geralt is the one who goes out hunting monsters, far more likely to get hurt, while Jaskier just sits around at some warm tavern.

Well, it’s not like it bothers Jaskier. Not at all. If anything, he actually quite enjoys the fact that upon returning from his latest hunt, before Geralt does anything else - before proving his kill, before collecting his coin, before cleaning or healing himself - he first makes sure Jaskier didn’t get randomly hurt in his absence.

Like _anyone_ here would be stupid enough to even try.

Every single person they’ve met over the past few years seems to rather promptly realize just how truly imbecilic of an idea it would to ever go after Jaskier personally as long as there is even the remotest chance his witcher might ever find out about it.

The ordinary townsfolk they deal with more often than not tend to take one look at Geralt - glowering at them from his horse or just from the doorway or from some corner in the tavern - and promptly decide that facing off against him simply isn’t worth whatever they might gain from going after Jaskier. The only ones who are stupid enough to even try anymore are some of the more self-important nobles, and even those tend to change their minds rather quickly once they suddenly find Geralt towering over them for daring to even give off the vague impression of possibly meaning Jaskier harm. Justified as they might admittedly sometimes be in their anger at him or not.

Like now, as the villagers all take one look at Geralt and then promptly proceed to back away, skirting around not only Geralt but also around Jaskier, giving a wide berth, not daring to come within two feet, eyes nervously darting to the scowling witcher watching them all through narrowed eyes.

Jaskier just smiles brightly at his witcher, unbothered that his adoring audience has also withdrawn alongside everyone else.

It's not like he minds. Quite to the contrary. And, well, he doesn't have much room to complain anyway.

Hell, he has dedicated his entire life to singing tales of Geralt’s valiant deeds, just to make sure his witcher is treated a little better wherever he goes.

It had taken him barely a month of traveling with Geralt, the witcher who is nothing at all like the stories claim, for his life’s goal to change. To change from ever writing a ballad so breathtaking it would make the rounds across the continent, the dream of ever getting to a new town and find one of his songs already known without him having to first teach it to people, into an entirely different goal, namely educating people on witchers, or rather, _his_ witcher in particular.

Well, Jaskier inadvertently also reached that first goal - several times over, ever since he started writing about his and Geralt’s various adventures - but that is rather irrelevant in comparison.

No, his true goal in life has become to write songs and ballads and little melodic limericks telling the tales of Geralt, the White Wolf, to teach people that if they are looking for one of those valiant knights from the stories they so like to dream of, they need look no further than Jaskier’s witcher.

Geralt who is treated with suspicion and fear wherever he goes but still always helps those in need, no exceptions. Geralt who barely ever expects to be treated with common courtesy but who is still somehow the damn well noblest person Jaskier has ever met, easily overshadowing any of the actual knights and kings and so-called royalty he has met in his life. A man who always keeps his word and is forever-willing to protect those who need it.

And, well, his self-assigned life's mission aside, another reason why Jaskier really has no room to complain about Geralt checking up on him is the fact that as soon as the witcher’s eyes move on to focus on the village leader standing beside Jaskier at the bar, he does his own quick perusal and the various injuries Geralt is apparently sporting.

He looks quite the fright actually, soaked through from the rain, hair stuck to his features as blood seeps from a cut over his eye, deep gouges in his right leg, his left hand dripping blood from beneath the cuff, so likely some sort of wound on his arm as well.

Though, when Geralt finally reaches the bar, Jaskier finds his gaze caught by the apparent ‘trophies’ he brought back with him.

“Not to seem like I'm trying to make myself out an expert on monsters, but those do not look like they belong to a cockatrice,” he notes cheerfully, eyeing the rather grotesque-looking twisted features of the heads Geralt chose to bring along as proof of a fulfilled contract.

“No cockatrice,” the witcher just grunts in reply. “A nest of erynias.”

Geralt’s subsequent ominously dark glower at the village leader - who had been absolutely _insistent_ that it must be a cockatrice, who knows where that particular conviction had come from - has the rather pudgy man promptly give something of a rather panicked-sounding squeak, hands already scrabbling at his pockets to find the coin purse with the promised reward, more or less throwing it at Geralt as soon as he finds it.

Well, that’s something at least.

Jaskier has witnessed far too often how some villages will actually try to withhold payment once they learn that the monster they hired Geralt to kill doesn’t exist as such, claiming the contract to be null and void. Never mind that the _problem_ that had them hire Geralt in the first place still having been taken care of by the witcher.

Honestly, sometimes Jaskier can’t even blame Geralt for his less than friendly attitude when faced with other people. Some of them are truly the least pleasant creatures Jaskier has ever come in contact with. And he is very much including the various monsters from their travels on that list.

But seems, that isn’t the case this time around. It’s actually been happening less and less, people seeming almost glad when it turns out the witcher stopping at their village is the White Wolf, the one they know from the songs.

And Jaskier would absolutely pat himself on the back for that alone, if that weren’t likely to get him a dark glower from said witcher. Well, not that Geralt has ever actually followed through on any of his spoken or implied threats, in all their travels - and no matter how much Jaskier pokes at his temper - has never so much as laid a hand on him.

Rather regrettably so, if you ask him.

When he first started traveling with Geralt, people called him stupid, called him suicidal, called him all kinds of less-than-flattering names for willingly following a witcher around, someone they call monster out of sheer ignorance.

Those poor bastards will never know that Jaskier actually managed to find himself the one truly pure-hearted person on the entire damn continent. Then again, he admittedly also quite likes the fact that he is the only person on earth who knows Geralt well enough to be able to ever even see behind his impressively surly façade at all.

And as the witcher relaxes slightly right next to him as soon as the village leader has scrambled off in badly hidden panic, some of the tension easing out of Geralt's shoulders as he leans against the bar beside him, a fresh mug of ale already in hand, his glower ever-fierce as he gazes across the crowd, warning anyone from coming any nearer, while standing close enough to Jaskier that he is inadvertently included in the witcher's rather notable bubble of space.

Jaskier just absently gestures for the barman to bring them another round, knowing Geralt will go through a couple of drinks after exhausting himself on his last monster-killing endeavor before he’ll want to go take a bath.

Geralt and his baths.

Not that Jaskier is complaining about that particular habit. No siree. Jaskier probably enjoys Geralt’s bath time about as much as the witcher himself does. The view alone sees to that.

He smiles brightly at the room, hiding his lascivious grin behind his usual cheerful smile, lest his witcher pick up on Jaskier's current thoughts.

For now, he'll give Geralt another minute of silence or so before he’ll start chattering at him, tell him of that new song he’s going to compose about this most recent cockatrice-turned-erynia adventure, needle him for details of what happened during the fight, maybe tell him about that one merchant who mentioned a village down in the valley with an apparent drowner problem, will talk Geralt up to their room, into the tub, through the bath and through the dressing of his wounds.

Talk until Geralt forgets the suspicious glances from the villagers all around them, the sneers from the barmaid, the whispers full of fear and disdain that are loud enough even Jaskier can pick up some of them.

This might not be the worst town they’ve ever stayed at, but it’s certainly not one of the friendliest either. Yet another reason why Jaskier doesn’t feel the slightest bit bothered by the fact that no one will dare come within a few feet of him as long as Geralt is glaring the entire room into submission from right beside him, not really being all that subtle about warning everyone off either.

Although, he does find it absolutely adorable that his witcher still seems to think he has to warn people off at all, seems to honestly think that everyone else hasn't already picked up on the fact that Jaskier is very much under his protection.

Likely because Geralt himself has only had this particular revelation a few months ago. While Jaskier himself has known for years now, figured it out barely months after he started tagging along on the witcher’s travels.

Then again, Geralt is a little slow on the uptake where anything even remotely related to emotions is concerned, his upbringing sees to that, as does the treatment he has received at the hand of other people ever since he started traveling the world.

Case in point, it took Jaskier literal _years_ of sticking around, of gently prodding at Geralt’s temper and emotions, to finally get the witcher to the point of even _realizing_ that he is just as attached to Jaskier as he is to the witcher. And then, it took him even longer to get Geralt to _admit_ as much to himself.

It’s been four years of almost constantly traveling together and they’ve finally progressed from Geralt glaring at _everyone_ to Geralt glaring at everyone _but_ Jaskier. Which has rather recently even turned into Geralt now scowling at anyone who dares come too close, apparently rather territorial when it comes to him now.

Jaskier absolutely delights in it.

Still, he doesn't mind the baby steps, the ever-slow progress from the witcher starting to trust him enough to even sleep deeply in his presence, to the witcher coming specifically _back to Jaskier_ these days, all the way to Geralt letting Jaskier touch him without any sort of hesitation even if it’s just while helping him dress his wounds.

Geralt trusts him and cares for him, is even _aware_ of it now. Which is already so much more than Jaskier had dared hope for in the beginning.

 _So. It should only be another decade or so until I might actually get Geralt to **do** something about it_, he thinks cheerfully, fond as ever whenever he thinks of his witcher.

But he's fine with waiting.

At least until then, there is always bath time to enjoy, where Jaskier oh-so-selflessly helps Geralt get the muck of his missions off his ridiculously stunning body, before oh-so-generously offering to apply the necessary salves to the witcher’s various wounds as Geralt stretches out on the bed to get some rest.

Because, you know, that’s what friends do and Jaskier is just _helpful_ like that.

Actually, the witcher's minute of silence - that Jaskier had so magnanimously granted him - is almost up now, and once he starts talking at Geralt, he'll quickly move on to their room and then promptly proceed to his bath.

As always. As has become _routine_ between them.

Jaskier lifts his ale to hide his grin behind, even as he relaxes back against the bar next to Geralt.

Yes, he is perfectly happy to bide his time until his somewhat emotionally stunted witcher finally catches on and realizes what has been going on between them.

He already knows the reward will be well worth the wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Oookay. So, an utterly self-indulgent fic which turned out far more introspective than I had intended :) 
> 
> Would love to know what you think :D


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